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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Colyton or Torquay Girls?

197 replies

Trambuctious · 30/06/2015 20:54

If all goes very very well on the exam day this will be the choice we need to make. Has anyone had to decide between these 2 schools, and how did you do so? We've been to the 2 open days, and they came across very differently, but were both tempting!

OP posts:
Broadchurch · 26/07/2015 14:18

since. Not si CE. My typing skills continue to shine...

Millymollymama · 27/07/2015 12:51

Hmmm. So this forum is not expected to elicit discussion? Is it ony for people who know the intimate details of a subject and have a closed mind? Is no-one else allowed to put forward any views? I have not really discussed anything with you, Molio, because you have a greater "interest" in the school than most, as we have now discovered, and are coming into this discussion from a very different, and very involved, perspective. I think everyone on MN is allowed to have a chat without it being policed by you.

Molio · 27/07/2015 13:47

Milly don't be silly. I'm not required to engage if I don't wish to, and since you're clearly speculating madly and coming to some conclusions which are ultra dubious I don't think it would be worth my while doing so :) I do find it funny that you're so interested in the minutiae of a school miles and miles away from where you say you live. Discussion is one thing, but it's not a discussion here, it's become a monologue on how you think a SMT at a particular school should go about their business. It's just a bit odd. But whatever floats your boat!

Molio · 27/07/2015 13:53

Incidentally, can I just point out that in my view as a really very long standing parent, I don't recognise any member of the SMT as having or having had a closed mind. You have no possible grounds for saying that they do, unless you're not who you say you are (a governor or ex governor of an unnamed school somewhere in Bucks). It's pretty off to chuck out allegations like that on the basis of no knowledge at all. One person suggesting it doesn't make it fact whereas fifteen years of knowing the people in question possibly counts for a little bit more. And yes, I do like evidence - most rational people do.

saintlyjimjams · 27/07/2015 14:10

I agree broadchurch - although ds2 has a very good idea of what he wants to do - choosing options in year 8 was harder for those who had zero idea!

Broadchurch · 27/07/2015 18:37

Saintly - my youngest DC already knows not just what GCSEs they want to do but also what A levels. My oldest DC was the same at that age. As was I. Middle one (and also my sister and my DH)- no blooming idea! Grin

As far as closed minds go - I have found several members of the current SMT at the school in question to have extremely UN-closed minds, although they do like proper arguments and evidence to be presented to support requests for, you know, consideration. I've never known them to just roll over. I haven't had dealings with all the SMT though. But I do think that sometimes assumptions are made about what reactions will be and actually, those assumptions are often incorrect. Just my experience obviously.

PeterTavy · 02/08/2015 09:47

I don't think choosing GCSEs early is too much of an issue, provided they keep a broad range of subjects, which they will at Colyton. Choosing A level options early can be more problematic though my elder DC was able to swap subjects fairly easily after speaking to a member of the SLT on GCSE results day. They haven't wanted to drop a subject at A level so I can't comment on that aspect.

I'd love to see a three year KS4 and two year KS5 at Colyton and my younger DC would still be the right age to benefit from this. My DP and I did write to the outgoing head and chair of governors recently to enquire whether there are any plans to introduce such a system as I know it has worked really well elsewhere and wondered whether the current government changes would have prompted a review. The head, who has always been friendly and welcoming to parents in my experience, responded quickly and was understandably committed to the status quo. I was disappointed to receive a reply from the chair, on the last day of the school year, six weeks after we had written (though he was on holiday for the first three to be fair) saying he had nothing to add to the head's reply but thanking us politely for our letter. He did suggest that a new head might have ideas that he or she may wish to bring to the governing body for their consideration but I got the impression that he considered it none of our concern, even though we have DC who could be affected by it. I think a new head might have his or her work cut out in trying to bring about any change from my experience recently.

Broadchurch · 02/08/2015 16:02

Peter sadly it's not necessarily the case that they keep a broad range of subjects at GCSE. The mandatoryness of triple science and the fact that they are only allowed 2 free choices means that arts or humanities are automatically squeezed. If a young person wants to do history and geography - not by any means an unusual combination of subjects - that's it. No arts subjects. In addition they actually advise kids not to pick two arts subjects for their options. Because of 'balance' (apparently having no arts subjects is not a problem for balance nor is having triple science. It's just focusing on arts which is frowned upon).

PeterTavy · 04/08/2015 08:46

They used to have three free choices at GCSE until very recently. I believe it only changed to two subjects for children choosing their options last year, presumably in preparation for the new GCSEs. I can see it must make for tough choices for more arty children though, particularly if it limits their subsequent options at A level.
At least they have a choice of which language to take without using up an optional subject now.

Broadchurch · 04/08/2015 09:15

I think it's been 2 choices for longer than that... My older DCs had 3 but younger will have just 2 and it's not good for the arty kids. The choice of German as the compulsory language is to try and protect the subject at A level. It's a shame that similar proactive measures have not been taken to protect other subjects.

saintlyjimjams · 04/08/2015 13:47

So how many subject do they do/choices do they have?

Ds2 (year 8) has chosen drama, music and RS as his options (has to do English x2, 3 separate sciences, MFL, Maths) so giving 10 (some do further maths as well giving 11). Everyone used to do 11 but they've dropped one to accommodate the new GCSE's.

Youngest son is about to go into year 6. I guess by the time he goes to secondary he'll have to do history or geography as well (that's a new govt thing isn't it, for the new year 7's?). Luckily he loves history so would have chosen it as an option anyway, but it would have been problematic for ds2.

Broadchurch · 04/08/2015 14:32

I don't know what this years Y9s will be doing. Until recently it was 2xmaths, 2xEnglish, 3xscience, French, RS, + 3 options (giving 12) and then the 3 options were dropped to 2, giving 11. You can now choose to do french or german but 1 MFL is compulsory. I do not know if an element of compulsion has been introduced into geog/hist or if the second maths has been dropped with the advent of the new GCSEs.

My youngest DC would want to do - given a free choice - Drama and music and history. But since there is no free choice (or rather, constrained free choice) it will be music and history with drama done outside school which actually may work out better. Or may not. A level choices would probably - in a free world - be English history drama and music. But since the school doesn't always offer music A level and since they may do drama GCSE outside it's not entirely clear what will happen there. Except that almost certainly they won't be doing any science subjects or maths.

saintlyjimjams · 04/08/2015 16:28

Ds2's school tends to be maths heavy as well. I think it's partly the nature of the eleven plus. Easier for a maths genius to gain a place than someone who excels in arts or humanities.

fastdaytears · 04/08/2015 19:38

Not really that relevant because I left way before the sixth form because three years (in fact I left year 13 at the time the new year 7s who would have the first extended sixth form were joining) but honestly I loved that school so much. I felt like such a weirdo at Primary for doing well and at Colyton I felt normal and made amazing friends who I'm still really close to. I think I was in the third generation of my family to go there and all positive experiences. Sad to see Mr Evans going, not sure how they haven't filled the headship yet. It can't be that horrible a job can it? They get a massive office (or did back in my day).
I loved it (in case I didn't make that point enough).

fastdaytears · 04/08/2015 19:40

Oh and yes it was only 2 GCSE options in my day and you couldn't do two arts subjects as they were timetabled together.

Gunpowderplot · 24/09/2015 19:13

How did anyone sitting Torquay or Colyton get on?
Lots of children seemed very happy. Not sure how that will turn out...

PeterTavy · 28/09/2015 12:06

Fingers crossed for you all.
At least you won't have to wait until March for the results as we did!

PeterTavy · 17/12/2015 14:08

For anyone reading this thread in the future there are two pieces of good news to end on:

  1. A permanent head has now been appointed and starts in September 2016
  1. Breaking news- the governors and current head have just announced the abolition of the three year Sixth form for all pupils in the current Year 9 and below-they are introducing a three year GCSE course after all!

Maybe they read mumsnet Wink

bojorojo · 17/12/2015 14:55

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Molio · 18/12/2015 09:06

It will never cease to amaze me how information which is the polar opposite of true is reported on MN as fact.

bojorojo · 18/12/2015 09:37

It always gets a response though, doesn't it?

Molio · 18/12/2015 10:34

Not much of one frankly! But what satisfaction does someone with no connection whatsoever to a school have in dishing out advice which isn't relevant (your discourses on the appointment of a HT) and information which is wholly untrue? Confused It just seems very pointless that's all.

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